A legend is born: a look at the team for Brazilian Ronaldo’s debut for Real Madrid

World-class footballers tend to come and go in the modern day, but in the 90s and 00s it took a lot to be considered a ‘superstar’. One such man who more than fit the criteria was Ronaldo, and yes – we’re talking about the Brazilian one.

In many ways fans of a certain generation probably enjoyed watching the old Ronaldo as opposed to Cristiano, probably because of just how ground breaking some of the things he was doing were at the time. There were no gimmicks, there wasn’t a pretty boy image – it was just one tremendously talented Brazilian showing the world why he was the best. Sound familiar?

One of the catalysts behind his success, and future legacy, was his tenure with Real Madrid. At the Bernabeu Ronaldo transformed himself from a world-class talent to someone who was in a league of his own, and we don’t say that lightly.

So how did it all start for Ronnie? With a 5-2 win over Deportivo Alaves of course, but let’s have a look at the other members of that illustrious team – news flash: Ronaldo started on the bench! But it didn’t stop him bagging on brace his debut!

Iker Casillas

From start to finish, Iker was and still is one of the most sensational and successful goalkeepers in the history of the game. From beginning to end his tenure in Madrid lasted a staggering 25 years, and that right there is what we call dedication. Image Source: Twitter

Roberto Carlos

The things this man could do with a football defied all forms of logic. That, and for so many other reasons, was why he was a bonafide first teamer at the Bernabeu for 11 years and why he’ll forever remain a legend. Let’s just forget about the Delhi Dynamos stint, shall we? Image Source: Twitter

Ivan Helguera

Ivan Helguera bounced around Italy and Spain with no real purpose, before landing with Real where he spent eight wonderful and fruitful seasons. The Spaniard shut up shop in Valencia, which isn’t a bad way to bow out. Image Source: Twitter

Fernando Hierro

Fernando Hierro simply wasn’t human. Over 100 goals as a defensive player just doesn’t compute with us, with his phenomenal passing range putting the likes of Paul Scholes to shame. So naturally, he finished up his career with Bolton Wanderers because why not. Image Source: Twitter

Oscar Minambres

This is the definition of an underdog story with Oscar Minambres working hisway up through the ranks before playing an important role in Real’s success. Ironically and bizarrely enough, Oscar went to Hercules before terminating his contract the next day due to a chronic knee injury. Ouch.
Image Source: Twitter

Claude Makelele

He’s a Chelsea legend to many and a PSG hero to others, but this iconic midfielder had three lucrative seasons with the Galacticos. Image Source: Twitter

Esteban Cambiasso

Younger fans may only recall Cambiasso’s tenure with Leicester, when in reality the Argentine has been around the footballing world showcasing his talent. To this day he’s tearing it up with Olympiakos, and long may it continue. Image Source: Twitter

Zinedine Zidane

Legend. Icon. The greatest player in the world, and now arguably the greatest manager in the world – with Real Madrid themselves no less. There’s nobody better. Image Source: Twitter

Guti

The man with the luxurious hair is the definition of a Madrid legend, which his commitment being something you don’t often see over there. He won 15 trophies including five La Ligas and three Champions League crowns, with over 500 appearances under his belt. Image Source: Twitter

Luis Figo

What a bloke. Skilful, composed, and elegant on the ball. Image Source: Twitter

Javier Portillo

The forgotten hero. Portillo was actually the top goalscorer in La Liga for the 2002/03 season, and also became a cult hero with the aforementioned Hercules with whom he played for in all three major Spanish divisions. Blimey.
Image Source: Twitter

Ronaldo

Brazilian legend. Real, Milan, Corinthians, Inter, Barcelona, Cruzeiro and PSV all felt his presence in the form of 352 goals in 518 appearances. We’ll never see his like again.
Image Source: Twitter

If you look up the definition of an all-star team in the dictionary, there’s a good chance that this bunch will pop up. So many of these players have paved the way for the superstars of today, with Ronaldo in particular shining through as Real’s icon for many years to come.

I'm a 22-year-old sports journalist covering football, MMA, NFL, WWE and more. I'm a Wolves fan, because for some reason I enjoy misery and heartache season after season.
Forever dreaming of a team of Steve Bulls.